•  Awareness  of  research  and  career  possibili2es  for  Geography  and  Environment  graduates    

•  Skills  required  to  successfully  apply  for  employment  and  graduates  studies  in  Geography  and  Environment  related  fields  

•  Personal  skills  (including  presenta2on,  communica2on  and  interpersonal  skills)  to  improve  self-­‐confidence,  ability  and  poten2al  within  the  workplace;  and  professional  direc2on  and  self-­‐awareness    

 

PAGES  Professional  Advancement  for  Geography  and  Environment  Students    

What  is  PAGES?  PAGES  is  a  professional  development  cer2ficate  program  open  to  all  undergraduate  students  enrolled  (ac2ve)   in  a  Geography,  GIS  or  Environment  program  at  UTM.  Students  enrolled   in  PAGES  par2cipate   in   ac2vi2es   such  as  workshops,   networking  events,   and   career   events   to  develop:    

Our  Partners:  

Students   self-­‐enroll   in  PAGES   through   the  Geography  and  Environment  Student  Community  Shell   on  Portal.   Par2cipants  will   select   from  a  number  of   ac2vi2es  arranged  by   cluster   (see  informa2on   below).   Upon   comple2on   of   the   required   number   of   ac2vi2es,   students   will  receive  a  cer2ficate  of  recogni2on  and  an  official  annota2on  on  their  university  transcript.      Requirements   for   comple2on   include   a   minimum   2me   commitment   of   thirty-­‐six   hours,  comple2on   of   ac2vi2es   by   2me   of   gradua2on,   and   comple2on   of   required   journal   entries.  Par2cipants  maintain  a  journal  on  the  Portal  with  personal  reflec2ons  on  what  was  learned  in  each  of  the  completed  ac2vi2es  and  how  this  knowledge  will  contribute  to  their  professional  development.  Journal  entries  must  be  submi6ed  within  two  weeks  of  the  comple?on  of  the  specific  ac?vity.  These   journal  entries  will  be  reviewed  by  the  program  administers  and  will  receive   either   a   complete   or   incomplete   nota2on   (an   explana2on   will   be   provided   for   an  incomplete  nota2on).    Some  ac2vi2es  will  require  tasks  in  addi2on  to  the  journal  entry.  

PAGES  helps  to  acquire  skills  beyond  t h o s e   a c qu i r e d   t h r ou ghou t  undergraduate   academic   programs;  it  promotes  effec2ve  communica2on  skills;   it    demonstrates  the  poten2al  of   your   educa2on   to   support   your  professional   future;   it   builds    confidence;   and   encourages   career  development.  

 

Advancem

ent  for

Geo

grap

hy  and

   En

vironm

ent  S

tude

nts  

Profession

al  

How  does  it  work?  

Why  is  it  necessary?  

This  program  is  administered  by  Dr.  Joseph  Leydon  and  Dr.  Barbara  Murck.    

CLUSTER  1:  What  We  Do  Minimum  2me  requirement:  26  hours    Complete  either  ac.vity  1  or  ac.vity  2,  and  either  3  or  4.    

Ac?vity  1:  Awareness  of  Geography  and  Environment  Research  Time  commitment:  6  hours  AXend   four   (non-­‐course   related)   academic   seminars.   The   most   convenient   will   likely   be  seminars   hosted   by   the   Department   of   Geography   such   as   the   Csillag   Seminars   series   and  research  presenta2ons  by  current  graduate  students,  typically  run  on  bi-­‐monthly  basis  from  September   to   April.     Consult   the   Community   Shell   on   the   Portal   site   for   details   on   2mes,  loca2ons   and   topics.   There   will   be   many   addi2onal   professional   seminar   opportuni2es  throughout  the  year;  these  will  be  posted  on  Portal  and  will  be  iden2fied  as  Cluster  1  op2ons.  You  must  complete  a  journal  entry  for  each  seminar  aXended  and  complete  the  appropriate  verifica2on  form,  downloaded  from  the  ‘verifica2on  forms’  folder  on  the  PAGES  site.  

 •  Awareness  of  Geography,  GIS,  Planning,  Environmental  Science  and  Environmental  Management  as  professional  fields  

•  Awareness  of  career  paths  available  to  Geography  and  Environment  graduates  

•  Community  involvement  and  professional  service    

 

Goals:  Learning  Cluster  1  

Ac?vity  2:  A6endance  at  an  Academic  Conference    Time  commitment:  minimum  of  6  hours  AXend   one  workshop,   symposium,   or   conference   related   to   your   field   of   interest.   Several  op2ons  will  be  available  each  year  in  the  local  area;  consult  the  Community  Shell  on  Portal  for  a   list   of   suitable   conferences   and   symposia.   In   addi2on   to   your   journal   entry,   you   must  provide  proof  of  registra2on  at  the  conference,  the  conference  program  (iden2fying  2tles  of  the   presenta2ons)   and   personal   reflec2ons   on   two   of   the   presenta2on   sessions   aXended.  This  documenta2on  must  be  submiXed  to  the  program  administrators.    

Ac?vity  3:  Service  in  an  Academic  Context  Time  commitment:  20-­‐80  hours    Serve  for  one  of  the  following  groups  for  one  academic  year:  a  member  of  the  execu2ve  of  a  Geography   or   Environment   related   student  society;  a  Facilitated  Study  Group  Leader  for  a  Geography   or   Environment   course;   a  mentor  in   the  Geography   and  Peer  Mentor   Program;  serve  as  a  Green  Team  member  OR  as  a  core  volunteer   at   any   six   approved   special   events  such   as   (but   not   limited   to)   Environment  Week,   UTM   Orienta2on,   UTM   Head   Start,  Program  Week,  Universi2es  and  Colleges  Fair,  or   Peer   Mentoring   for   the   Robert   Gillespie  Academic  Skills  Centre.  Successful  comple2on  must   be   verified   by   the   posi2on’s   supervisor  and  comple2on  of  the  appropriate  verifica2on  form.    

CLUSTERS  

Time  commitment:  20-­‐80  hours  Ac?vity  4:  Community  Service  

Hold  a  posi2on  in  a  local  community  organiza2on  for  which  you  are  required  to  use  some  of  the  skills  and  knowledge  you  have  gained  from  your  academic  program.  The  commitment  to  the  organiza2on   should  be  at   least   20  hours   and  will   need   to  be   verified  by   the  posi2on’s  supervisor.  In  addi2on  to  your  journal  entry  you  must  complete  the  appropriate  verifica2on  form  downloaded  from  the  ‘verifica2on  forms’  folder  on  the  PAGES  site.      

CLUSTERS  

CLUSTER  2:  Personal  and  Professional  Skill  Development  Minimum  2me  requirement:  10  hours    Complete  at  least  six  of  the  following.  Check  portal  for  dates  &  loca.ons  

Ac?vity  1:  Resume  and  Cover  Le6er  Workshop  Time  commitment:  2  hours  A   well-­‐wriXen   cover   leXer   and   clearly   constructed   resume   are   essen2al   to   gecng   an  interview.   This  workshop   provides   prac2cal   advice   on   how   to   develop   leXers   and   resumes  that  match  your  skills  to  employers  needs.  You  must  complete  a  journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity.    

Ac?vity  2:  Effec?ve  Interviews  Workshop  Time  commitment:  2  hours  UTM  Career  Centre  Staff  provide  guidance  on  what  ques2ons  to  expect,  how  to  respond  to  them,  and  how  to  present  yourself  posi2vely  to  a  poten2al  employer.  You  must  complete  a  Journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity.    

Ac?vity  3:  Cover  Le6er  and  Resume  Cri?que    Time  commitment:  1.5  hours  Par2cipate   in   three   individual   half   hour   cri2ques   organized   by   the   UTM   Career   Centre.  Par2cipants  provide  a  copy  of  a  resume/cover  leXer  to  be  cri2qued  and  re-­‐submit  a  modified  copy  for  a  final  cri2que.  You  must  complete  a  Journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity.    

Ac?vity  4:  LinkedIn  Essen?als  for  Job  Search  Time  commitment:  1.5  hours  Networking  is  crucial  to  finding  and  securing  a  job.  In  this  workshop  learn  how  to  use  LinkedIn  effec2vely  in  your  job  search,  networking  and  career  ventures.  This  session  is  interac2ve  and  it   is   best   to   create   a   profile   before   aXending.   You  must   complete   a   Journal   entry   for   this  ac2vity  

Ac?vity  5:  Stand  Out  and  Succeed  at  Work  Time  commitment:  2  hours  Improve  your  workplace  poten2al  with  insights  on  appropriate  personal  style  and  on  how  to  impress  on  first  contact  in  person,  by  phone,  or  in  wri2ng.  You  must  complete  a  journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity.      

 Development  of  skills  for  success    in  the  workplace.  

 

Goal:  Learning  Cluster  2  

Ac?vity  6:  Learn  to  Network  Time  commitment:  3  hours  Make  a   las2ng   impression   in   business   and   social   secngs  with   techniques   to  develop   job  leads  and  make  contact  with  prospec2ve  employers.  AXendance  at  the  networking  event  will   include   one  mandatory   network   prepara2on   session   organized   through   UTM   Career  Centre.  You  must  complete  a  Journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity    

CLUSTERS  

Ac?vity  1:  Is  Teaching  in  Your  Future?  Time  commitment:  2  hours  A   discussion   about   careers   in   teaching   and   how   to   complete   an   effec2ve   teacher   training  college  applica2on.  You  must  complete  a  journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity.    

Ac?vity  2:  The  Road  to  Graduate  School  Time  commitment:  2  hours  A  discussion  about  graduate  studies  and  how  to  prepare   an   effec2ve   graduate   school  applica2on.  You  must  complete  a  journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity.    

CLUSTER  3:  Career  Development  Minimum  2me  requirement:  4  hours    Complete  at  least  two  of  the  following.  Check  portal  for  dates  &  loca.ons  

Ac?vity  8:  Now  That  I’m  Gradua?ng  What’s  Next  (NTIGWN)  

Tailored  to  recent  or  gradua2ng  students  this  workshop  helps  you  to  consider  your  next  steps  in  your  career.  In  this  workshop  you  will  learn  to  market  yourself  and  tap  into  the  “hidden  job  market,”  effec2vely  match  your  skills  to  employers  needs  and  iden2fy  your  target  area.  You  must  complete  a  journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity.    

Time  commitment:  1.5  hours  

Ac?vity  7:  Jump  Start  Your  Job  Search  Time  commitment:  1-­‐2  hours  This   workshop   is   geared   toward   assis2ng  gradua2ng  students  learn  and  apply  job  search  strategies   to   make   their   job   search   more  effec2ve  in  difficult  economic  markets.  You  must  complete  a  journal  entry  for  this  ac2vity.    

 

Ac?vity  3:  Jump  Start  Your  Job  Search  Time  commitment:  2  hours  A  workshop  focused  on  job  search  strategies,  how  to  access  the  hidden  job  market,  and  how  to  make  a  posi2ve   impression  with  employers.   You  must   complete  a   journal  entry   for   this  ac2vity.    

 •  Knowledge  of  career  op?ons    •  Start  career  planning  process  

 

Goals:  Learning  Cluster  3  

CLUSTERS  CLUSTER  4:  Professional  Self-­‐Awareness    Minimum  2me  requirement:  6  hours    Complete  ac.vity  1  or  ac.vity  2,  and  ac.vity  3  

Ac?vity  1:  Present  Yourself  as  a  Professional  

Give   a   presenta2on   on   a   Geography   or   Environment   related   topic   to   an   audience   that  includes  professionals   from  your  field.   This   requirement   can  be   completed  by  presen2ng  a  talk   or   a   poster   at   an   academic   conference,   or   it   can   be   completed   in   the   context   of   an  internship,  independent  research  or  a  ROP-­‐type  course,  as  long  as  external  professionals  are  involved  and  aXending  the  presenta2on.  In  addi2on  to  your  journal  entry  you  must  complete  the  appropriate  verifica2on  form  from  the  PAGES  site.    

Goals:  Learning  Cluster  4  

Ac?vity  3:  Professional  Affilia?on    Join  any  Geography  or  Environment  related  professional  organiza2on  as  a  student  member.  Op2ons   include   but   are   not   limited   to   CAGONT   (Canadian   Associa2on   of   Geographers,  Ontario  Chapter)  and  ECO-­‐CEPIT  (Environmental  Careers  Organiza2on  Canadian  Environment  Professional   In   Training).   Addi2onal   sugges2ons   and   details   will   be   provided   on   Portal.  Provide  proof  of  membership  to  the  program  administrators.    

Ac?vity  2:  Professional  Poreolio  Select   any   three   pieces   of   work   that   you   have  completed   during   the   course   of   your   academic  program,   and   of   which   you   are   par2cularly  proud.   These   can   be   examples   of  wriXen  work,  mapping   projects,   data   analysis,   field   or   lab  reports,   or   even   a   videotape   of   a   presenta2on.  Try  to  choose  different  types  of  work.  You  will  be  required  to  write  a  brief  self-­‐cri2que  on  the  pieces,  explaining  why  you  are  proud  of  the  work  and  how  it  relates  to  your  career  path.  The  professional  poriolio  including  the  self-­‐cri2que  should  be  submiXed  to  the  program  administrators  no  later  than  the  second  Friday  of  March  of  your  gradua2ng  year.      

 •  Development  of  a  professional  poreolio  

•  Self-­‐awareness  and  mo?va?on  as  a  professional